These Ottawa homeowners wanted to make their kitchen a hub for hanging out as a family and for entertaining, but their kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house and didn’t feel inviting. “And like most family households, they needed a place for everything,” says designer Nathan Kyle of Astro Design Center. This meant being strategic about every inch of storage. In the course of a complete remodel, he opened the kitchen to the family room and placed a long, hardworking island in the center. Now it’s a welcoming room where everyone loves to spend time.